Intuitive Machines - IM-1 - Moon Mission Lander
Discussion
Dog Star said:
Eric Mc said:
You do realise that there were no live images transmitted by the Apollo Lunar Module during the descent and landing phase?
This is 2023. Every single unmanned Mars or lunar lander I can remember (actually add Venus to that) has got an image back pronto. It’s good PR.
We were told by the IM team we’d get images after a couple of minutes. They had the fancy landing cam setup.
If at first you don't succeed, you have another go. That's the philosophy.
By the way, I was under the impression it's now 2024.
Are you being deliberately argumentative, Eric?
The lander has cameras. Then there’s the Eagle Cam. We were told what would happen. It’s not up for your conjecture. It was stated fact that images would be coming back soon after landing.
“Bells and whistles”? The lander has been sending back stunning images from its coast and from around the moon. I’m not aware that this imaging equipment was jettisoned- are you?
I’ll be very very happy to be proven wrong, but this really hasn’t gone well. That much is obvious. However that’s the way they are rolling with this now with CLPS - they expect failures especially with the first attempts, and a polar landing as a first attempt is pretty ambitious. Roll on the next ones.
The lander has cameras. Then there’s the Eagle Cam. We were told what would happen. It’s not up for your conjecture. It was stated fact that images would be coming back soon after landing.
“Bells and whistles”? The lander has been sending back stunning images from its coast and from around the moon. I’m not aware that this imaging equipment was jettisoned- are you?
I’ll be very very happy to be proven wrong, but this really hasn’t gone well. That much is obvious. However that’s the way they are rolling with this now with CLPS - they expect failures especially with the first attempts, and a polar landing as a first attempt is pretty ambitious. Roll on the next ones.
Eric Mc said:
You do realise that there were no live images transmitted by the Apollo Lunar Module during the descent and landing phase?
Of course I do, I watched it. Anyway, there's no need to be so defensive. You obviously didn't read my point about the helicam/drone/eagle cam or whatever. That blatantly failed. That was a bolt on experiment by some students. It wasn't - and isn't - a fundamental part of what this vehicle is about. This is designed as a cargo carrier for bringing smaller supplies and materials down onto the lunar surface. It's not a space probe designed to explore the lunar environment.
This is more akin to the supply vessels that bring stuff up to the ISS.
Edited to add a list of the items carried on the craft -
The IM-1 mission carried six NASA payloads through the agency’s Commercial Luar Payload Services (CLPS) program, under a task order awarded in 2019 and valued, after revisions, at $118 million. The payloads emphasized technology demonstrations, including a navigation Doppler lidar, a navigation beacon, a radiofrequency fuel tank gauge and a camera to study dust plumes kicked up by the lander’s engine. Other NASA payloads included a laser retroreflector and a radioastronomy instrument.
IM-1 also carried six non-NASA payloads. Columbia Sportswear provided material identical to what it uses on some of its jackets to test its use as insulation for a propellant tank. Two companies, Galactic Legacy Labs and Lonestar Data Holdings, flew data archives on the lander. The International Lunar Observatory Association flew two small astronomical cameras. Artist Jeff Koons provided an artwork called “Moon Phases” installed on the lander.
The most ambitious of the non-NASA payloads was EagleCam, built by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. EagleCam was designed to be ejected from the lander during its final descent, reaching the surface ahead of the lander and taking images of the lander’s touchdown.
This is more akin to the supply vessels that bring stuff up to the ISS.
Edited to add a list of the items carried on the craft -
The IM-1 mission carried six NASA payloads through the agency’s Commercial Luar Payload Services (CLPS) program, under a task order awarded in 2019 and valued, after revisions, at $118 million. The payloads emphasized technology demonstrations, including a navigation Doppler lidar, a navigation beacon, a radiofrequency fuel tank gauge and a camera to study dust plumes kicked up by the lander’s engine. Other NASA payloads included a laser retroreflector and a radioastronomy instrument.
IM-1 also carried six non-NASA payloads. Columbia Sportswear provided material identical to what it uses on some of its jackets to test its use as insulation for a propellant tank. Two companies, Galactic Legacy Labs and Lonestar Data Holdings, flew data archives on the lander. The International Lunar Observatory Association flew two small astronomical cameras. Artist Jeff Koons provided an artwork called “Moon Phases” installed on the lander.
The most ambitious of the non-NASA payloads was EagleCam, built by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. EagleCam was designed to be ejected from the lander during its final descent, reaching the surface ahead of the lander and taking images of the lander’s touchdown.
Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 23 February 13:28
Anyway, latest news:
“Lunar Surface Day One Update (23FEB2024 0818 CST)
Odysseus is alive and well. Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging.
We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation). Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus will participate in a press conference later today to discuss this historic moment. Press conference information will be coordinated with NASA and published shortly.“
“Lunar Surface Day One Update (23FEB2024 0818 CST)
Odysseus is alive and well. Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging.
We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation). Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus will participate in a press conference later today to discuss this historic moment. Press conference information will be coordinated with NASA and published shortly.“
Eric Mc said:
EMc says pictures are nice and I'm sure we will see some eventually. But this mission is primarilly a delivery truck. I don't expect Sainsbury's to take a picture when they deliver my groceries.
Eric - as you of all people on this thread should well know - engagement with the public is key with this sort of stuff, and pictures are what the vast majority of the public like to see, it’s a manifestation of the achievement. IM have been great at this engagement so far, beautiful high resolution photos of the earth and moon with their shiny lander.
This post on Twitter I think sums it up and isn’t atypical of the responses they’re getting on there
Twitter said:
I have to say, I’m extremely disappointed with the lack of transparency upon the so-called landing! For the last seven days, you have been amazing at providing daily updates, which included photos, and now upon landing, there is no proof! Disappointing as this is causing scepticism
Even if they produce a fantastic 4k eagle cam video of the lander touching down I fear that that they’ve already done themselves no end of PR damage. I’ve got my fingers crossed those pics are what they’ll show, or the tin foil hatters and conspiracy loons will have a field day.
And yes - I know it’s called X now; I’m just leaving something for you to correct
Edit: it appears that the Eagle Cam was not released, but may be released after landing. So that might explain that then.
Edited by Dog Star on Friday 23 February 19:49
Beati Dogu said:
Lunar Surface Day One Update (23FEB2024 0818 CST)
Odysseus is alive and well. Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging.
We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation).
Odysseus is alive and well. Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging.
We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation).
essayer said:
On its side apparently 
To be fair to the 'Lunar Surface Day One Update', it didn't say it was the right way up...Simpo Two said:
To be fair to the 'Lunar Surface Day One Update', it didn't say it was the right way up...
Previously they did say…“After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data. ”
Good effort though - it took people about a million times cleverer than me to manage this.
Eric Mc said:
If it was a big ticket major space exploration project, then I’d agree. But this is the first test of a lunar delivery van - so not quite up there with Voyager or Viking.
Yep. There’s been no trumpeting from the media about the first US landing in 50 years. There’s been no evidence of constant media releases and webcasts by IM. There’s been no OTT stuff like “Odysseus has a new home”. And Bill Nelson hasn’t appeared giving a gushing speech about it. Nope. None of the above has happened, which totally explains the virtual silence from IM machines for the last day and a half, save for a couple of tweets which appear to be somewhat false/optimistic.
I was tremendously optimistic about this effort. If they’d just come clean and said what had gone wrong like the Japanese did I’d have just thought “good show, great effort, get it right next time” (the whole CLPS philosophy). But they haven’t. Almost 25% of the spacecrafts life now expended (if it was working). Trumpeting a failure as a success just looks stupid. They should have kept that Bill Nelson video in the can.
All they’ve done is lied and caused mistrust and scepticism. Whoever does their PR needs a kick up the arse.
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